ExxonMobil sponsors 'Breakfast with the Boss'

The topics of passion, perseverance and being open across one’s career path guided a conversation over coffee and kolaches at last month’s Southeast Texas Young Professionals Organization’s “Breakfast with the Boss” member event.

The March session, sponsored by ExxonMobil in Beaumont, featured Rozena Dendy, refinery plant manager, and Jennifer Dunphy, chemical plant manager, sharing their personal career journeys and advice with more than 20 young professionals from local companies and organizations.

The event was held on the first Tuesday of Women’s history month, which was fitting. For the first time in the history of ExxonMobil’s Beaumont complex, the roles of chemical plant manager and refinery manager are being held by women concurrently.

“Opportunities like these provide valuable guidance for our members to excel in their careers and identify new perspectives on defining success,” Kayla Bishop, Southeast Texas Young Professionals Organization president, said.

Dendy and Dunphy each shared an overview of their roles and primary objectives, the most crucial being a relentless dedication to safe, reliable operations and focus on positive community involvement. ExxonMobil’s operations in Beaumont consist of the refinery, chemical plant, polyethylene plant and lubricant blending and packaging plant.

The refinery processes 366,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produces 2.8 billion gallons of gasoline annually. The Beaumont chemical plant produces building-block chemicals such as ethylene and propylene, synthetic fluids and lubricant base-stocks, and more than 25 different types of zeolite catalyst.

Dendy shared with the audience to “bloom where you are planted, turn challenges into opportunities as this can help you achieve your personal career goals.”

Dendy, originally from Timmonsville, South Carolina, holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina. Dendy began her ExxonMobil career in 1998 as a process designer in its Baytown Refinery. Dendy progressed her career with multiple business, engineering and leadership roles across the United States and Canada. Before starting as refinery manager in Beaumont this past January, Dendy held the same role in Canada leading the Nanticoke Refinery.

Dunphy recognized the importance of employee development and growth as an additional priority for plant managers. She encouraged the audience to prioritize the importance of mentoring, including reverse mentoring and both formal and informal mentor relationships.

“Influential mentors help you to better understand the diversity of success, which is to ask yourself what success means to you,” Dunphy said. “Don’t ask why me, ask why not me? Ask yourself if you’re continuing to find passion in what you do and if you’re aiming to fulfill that passion over time.”

Dunphy, originally from Oklahoma, holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University. Dunphy first joined ExxonMobil in 1993 as a process engineer at the Mobil Beaumont polyethylene plant. Throughout her over 20-year career, Dunphy held a variety of engineering, planning and supervisory roles across the United States, including serving as chemical plant manager for ExxonMobil’s Edison chemical plant in New Jersey. Before her current role, she served as plastics plant manager and process manager at ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge chemical plant.

Both speakers ended their remarks by re-emphasizing the importance of developing the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math professionals, including specific outreach to women and other underrepresented groups. According to the Society of Women Engineers, women account for only 13% of the engineering practice, which are typically high-paying and high-demand jobs.